Never thought about that. I have put some scary sharp edges on axes with a high speed grinder with a sandpaper flap wheel on it.
Sometimes I use a whizz wheel ...(after hitting some rocks)......... the kind you use to put in a pneumatic grinder and clean off stuck gaskets from heads/intakes on cars and trucks. It grinds away very slowly at first, then polishes up the metal as it dulls.
I split when i drop a tree and cut it up where its at. I stand the rounds up and go to town. Knotted stuff goes in the truck for the maul or splitter later. I don't have time to split wood let alone pick up each piece and put it on a splitting block. the edges lasts quite a while, but things in the ground do take some nicks out. work on your technique. Its not meant to swing like a maul. watch some videos on youtube. bending the knees slightly and breaking the wrist right before impact is how it works extremely well, even on knotted up, non straight grain stuff. if you just try to beat it to death, it will get stuck. If you have a 20" or larger round and try to go for a one strike center HIGH-YA, it will get stuck. Work around the permitter then knock the center out. if you use a splitting block the X25 is perfect. I had an X25 first and gave it to my brother once I got the 27 because I split on the ground, not on a block. The 25 is too short for me (5'9") to use it splitting rounds on the ground. real easy to swing at your ankles with that short of a handle.. I've had my X27 for 5 years now. split about 18 cord with it and only touched up the edge twice. once the year before last, and once this year.
I'm with you. I have the old Super Splitter and an X27. I sure wish I could put the longer handle on the old head! As for sharpening? I just use a file to take out the dings if needed then switch over to the Fiskars roller sharpener. Works good for me, I don't see the need to get it razor sharp.
I find it doesn't usually *need* to be that sharp - it has more of a tendency to get stuck when it is. But it goes through the stringy stuff so much better when it's sharp. When I do sharpen it, I use a flat file and a whetstone. Good advice. I also use my stomach muscles more these days: at the "top" of the swing, when I'm beginning to pull down, I use them to sort of "whip" my upper body - about the same time I'm starting to bend at the knees. I get a lot more power that way. But I do like to go right down the center, even on the big rounds - under 30" or so anyway. For the fun of it more than anything else I guess. I also like to split the knots right in half, rather than "shaving them off"; I end up with "better shaped" pieces that way. They'll sit "flatter", and I can usually even use them in my cross stacks if I need to. I've used heavier mauls, but I'll take the lighter Fiskars all day long. Force=Mass x Acceleration, so heavier head vs more speed is basically a wash. The lighter head on the Fiskars takes less out of you IMO - both in energy and impact on the joints.
Technically, the axe delivers kinetic energy, which is based on mass * velocity ^2. This is even stronger support for the Fiskars lighter/faster design. Swinging an axe is like driving a golf ball. Let your wrists move freely, grip only as firmly as necessary, move your arms with rhythm, and don't try to make your hands move fast. In fact, as you get close to impact, let your hands and arms slow down, which lets the axe head rotate around the handle for maximum punch. My x27 was delivered yesterday. Too bad I'm across the country this week. My wife saw the delivery and asked why I didn't get a hatchet for splitting kindling. This is great because now I get to buy the Fiskars hatchet too. David
Fixing those chipped edges... Tip: Fiskars Axes and Chipped Edges MS250, MS029, MS066, Hsq141, JD 50V
